Coxibs: The new super aspirins or unsafe pain killers?

The new generation of analgesics and antiinflammatory drugs, namely, the selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzymes, popularly known as Coxibs, have become a very popular class of drugs because of their gastro-sparing property. Coxibs were the widely prescribed drugs (nearly 8 million people round the globe take these drugs) until the recent setback with rofecoxib, which was withdrawn from the market by the innovator due to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes observed with its long-term use. The withdrawal of this popular NSAID has not only caused a great setback in the global market of coxibs but has also questioned the ethics involved in the toxicity testing and sharing of information with the end users of this new class of drugs. This article briefly reviews the developments in coxib theory, the clinical efficacy and safety of these agents in the light of the latest cardiovascular concerns.